New Tide Rising
by ItsACharmedLife
Summary: Five years have passed since the war. The GAang has split but one member is finding it hard to move on. When an ancient threat is released will the GAang be able to pull together again? What about when the ones responsible for the threat are the ones they love and miss the most? Each member will have to overcome their own fears and losses or the world will be plunged into darkness.
1. Burnt

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**I haven't finished this story yet, but I have a really good idea on where I would like it to go. I'm sorry for not having Katara and Aang in this chapter, but hopefully you'll understand by the end of the next one. Reviews, critisisms, and praises are the best, and I am willing to take suggestions on anything you might think would make the story better! This story is going to focus A LOT on overcoming personal obstacles and finding comfort from the people around the characters. There will _NOT_ be any incest or gay/lesbian relationships, but there will be T rated content. The first chapter starts out kind of slow. It's just setting up the events for the next few chapters. I love reviews. :)**

* * *

**BURNT**

Day dreaming had never been something Toph did often. There had never been any time to. When she wasn't fighting her parents as a child, she was earth bending. That had been her escape. She knew people would never expect anything out of her, the poor little blind girl, but Toph wanted people to respect her, not pity her. So she had trained until her feet bled and every muscle in her body ached, and she had become the best earth bender the world had ever known or would ever know.

Yet, here she was, sitting atop the wall of Ba Sing Se looking over a countryside that she couldn't see. Toph never pitied herself for being blind. It had made her stronger than everyone around her, but sometimes she imagined what it would be like to be able to _see_ things, in color: to know what the sunrise looked like or to see a man's face and know he was handsome. She ran her fingers over her face wondering if she was pretty or if any man would ever be able to love her.

"I'm turning into Katara," she huffed. "I need to go beat something." _Or someone._ She grinned mischievously. The practice fields would be the perfect place to settle her emotions. Besides, as Second-in-Command to the Earth Kingdom Army, it was her duty to make sure her soldiers were getting the best training possible, and she _would_ give them the _best_ training possible.

She jumped over the ledge and landed easily on a slab of stone ten foot down. She bended her way to the ground and landed with a loud thud. She was now in the Outer City of Ba Sing Se. It was a residential area for the middle class of the city. The further you moved in, the bigger and more extravagant the houses became. In the center of Ba Sing Se and within another set of walls, was the Inner City where the richest and most powerful made residence. It was also the center hub where merchants and shopkeepers made their living.

It was the middle of a weekday so most of the inhabitants of the Outer City were within the Inner Walls trying to support their family. Since the end of the war, times were hard. Everyone who had profited from the fighting, and that was most of Ba Sing Se, was out of business. Almost a forth of the city's workers didn't have a job. Soldiers who had been hailed as war heroes five years before were now reduced to the lowest jobs and some them were even beggars. It was a despicable way to live, but they couldn't help it.

Toph heard babies wailing from different houses. She wondered how many of them were hungry and wouldn't get food because their family couldn't afford to eat every day. She was doing everything in her power to find a solution to the problem, but there weren't enough jobs to support the city's population. The rest of the Earth Kingdom wasn't doing any better either. If something wasn't done fast, the entire economy would collapse. It didn't help that the Earth Counsel still refused to trade with the Fire Nation or accept any of its help. From what she heard, Zuko wasn't fairing to well across the sea either.

Someone was walking across the street towards her. Toph guessed it was a man by the heavy footsteps. She hesitated before stopping. Some citizens still remembered how she and her friends had ended the war and respected her for it, but most had short memories. Those citizens loved to give her and anyone with any command an earful every chance they got. Toph prepared herself, reminding herself that these people were just scared for themselves and their families.

The man walked passed her though without so much as a hesitation. Toph let out a long breath. She was one of the most powerful people in the Earth Kingdom, in the entire world for that matter. Why was she scared of a peasant? She started walking again, but something made her stop. A split second too late she realized that the man had taken a battle stance. She tried to tighten her hand and send a boulder of earth hurtling towards him, but something pricked her left shoulder. Flames erupted from the spot and scorched through her body too fast for her to react. Toph screamed and fell to the ground.

She felt the fire burning away not only her flesh but her very existence. Her mind wasn't working. She could only feel the pain from the flames. She wanted to scream to relieve some of her torture, but smoke clogged her throat. She couldn't breathe. She didn't want to breathe; oxygen would only fuel the fire. Toph had never felt pain like this before. She wanted to die, but some part of her that she couldn't fully comprehend was still aware of her attacker and his exact location.

Toph couldn't think through the flames, but she felt anger so white-hot it rivaled the fire's intensity. Her hands were nothing but burning embers, but she was going to kill the person who had done this to her. She felt his footsteps approaching her. Without hesitation, she swiped her arms together. The movement sent torrents of new pain through her body, but she heard the sound of stone hitting stone and bones breaking.

She grinned with singed lips and allowed herself to fade into a burning unconsciousness.

* * *

Azula eyed her target. She felt her power coursing under skin. She itched with it. It needed to escape or she would explode. She grinned relishing in the feeling of being strong again. The fire burned passionately just inches from her fingertips. The flames' blue lights reflected off the metal walls of the training room casting shadows across the field. Her fingers twitched in anticipation. "Come on, Zu-zu, let's play."

Zuko smiled at his little sister. He could see it in her eyes again, the will to survive. Fire sparks from his fingertips. "No mercy," he laughed.

Azula chuckled. "Never." She made the first move. She ran in an arc to his right. His left hand had always been weaker, but he read it and kicked a jet of fire just to the side of her forcing her back straight. Blue flames glided under her feet as she rose over his head in a tornado of fire. She watched his eyes grow and laughed. Azula rained fireballs down on him until a red torrent erupted in front of her knocking her off balance. The tornado disappeared, but she landed easily on the floor. The room crackled with energy as both benders summoned lightening.

Azula's body tingled with energy and competition. "I see you've been practicing, Brother."

Zuko only smiled back at her. He knew that she wasn't going to let him win, but neither was he going to let her. He felt the electricity whizzing around him. It was dangerous to use it with so much metal around them, but no one else was in the training arena. "Are you going to shoot or just blab all day like a little _girl_."

"I'll show you _girl_," she yelled over the snapping of lightning. The sudden power surge was exhilarating, but she had to let it go or it would kill her without a second thought. It shot from her fingertips heading straight for Zuko's heart. As soon as he began to redirect it though, Azula changed game plans. She clasps her hands together with her index fingers pointed out and slammed her fists against the ground. A gush of blue and green flames covered her vision and nearly blinded her.

Azula stood their panting, waiting for the smoke to clear. There was no way Zuko could redirect the lightning and block her flames. She began to walk forward confident in her victory when she felt more energy being redirected. She ducted just in time to avoid getting a face full of lightning. "How?" She screeched searching the smoke for her opponent.

Zuko jumped out of the ashes nearly landing on her shoulders. Azula moved her burning hand across his chest leaving a trail of torn fabric. Both siblings summoned flames from each of their appendages. "No more lightning?" Zuko half-smiled. Azula rolled her eyes.

"Only because I don't want to kill you…yet." He made the first move. Azula saw the opening. She faked towards his right but swiped her legs knocking him to the ground. It wasn't until she was in the air and almost on him that realized the trap. He kicked both feet in the air sending two jets of flames right at her. She split through them but wasn't able to recover in time to catch herself. She landed on him and rolled onto her side.

Azula was prepared to continue the fight until she heard him guffawing beside her. "What's so funny?" She tried to calm her adrenaline, but there was a fight to be won. And Zuko was _laughing_. She gritted her teeth and tried to keep herself from torching him to ashes.

"I'm sorry. It's just…you should have seen you're face when you fell on top of me. Priceless." He looked over at her. His arm was under her shoulders, and their bodies were touching. He wrapped his arm around her. "It's almost like you were scared or something."

Azula rolled her eyes. "I've never been scared of you. You being Fire Lord doesn't change that." She waited for his witty response, but he just kept looking at her. "What?" She said self-consciously. "Did you burn my hair?"

Zuko chuckled at his little sister. "No, I just…I'm really glad to have you back. That's all." He half-smiled at her again. It wasn't until very recently that he realized how much he missed her laugh and smile. He'd almost forgotten there'd been a time where they had been just brother and sister not arch rivals hell-bent on the other's destruction.

"Oh, c'mon, Zuko, don't start getting all mushy on me." Azula smirked nervously. Feelings and emotions stilled made her uneasy especially with Zuko. "I never really left I just…okay, yeah, I totally checked out, but that's over. Right?" She grinned up at him, ready for his confident remark about how they were going to change the world.

Zuko nodded. "No one is ever going to take you away from me again." He kissed her forehead knowing how uncomfortable that would make her feel. "C'mon, let's go get something to eat." He stood up and held out his hand. She took it happily. Azula in that moment, felt more whole than she had since she was a child. How was it that the person she had hated for most of her life, had become the one person she could love? He was her rock, the only family she had left. And as far as she knew, the only family that had ever truly cared for her.

"Zuko," she said uneasily.

"Yeah?"

She glanced at him. "I don't know if I ever told you this, but-" that's when she saw it. A chance look in the right direction and it was there. "Assassin!"

"Assa-" but Azula pushed him to the ground. "What the he-" he shook his head and looked up at her. She was staring down at him, but her mouth was set in a silent scream. He had never seen so much pain in a human's eyes before. A small dart stuck out from her chest.

"Zuk…Zuk…" she wavered before falling. He lunged to catch her.

"Azula!" He searched the balcony for their attacker. She had seen it: the assassin. She had seen it, and she had saved him. Her hand gripped his arm weakly.

"Fire…fire…so much…pain…" Azula's throat felt like it was clotting with smoke and ash. She had been around fire all her life, and more than once been burnt by it, but never like this. This was different. This fire started inside her and seared her with more intensity than she'd ever felt. There was so much pain. She wanted to scream, but nothing was coming out. Zuko called out to her, but his voice was a thousand miles away. Her eyes fluttered then there was darkness. She slipped into a searing unconsciousness tortured by fire and ash.

Zuko knew he had to get her out of here. She had been poisoned. She had been poisoned because she saved him. His head was still reeling, but he had to stay calm for Azula's sake. He sent a wall of fire in the direction of the assassin and conjured another next to him and Azula. The doorway was only twenty feet away. If he could make it into the open, he could call for help. He scooped Azula into his arms. She moaned, and Zuko ran faster. His fire walls would have to be enough.

He jumped through the door into an open courtyard. The moon and stars were covered by clouds. He thanked whatever spirits were looking out for him. "Assassin! Help! Assassin!" He shouted sprinting to the nearest entrance to the castle. Almost instantly, four palace guardsmen appeared.

"Fire Lord," one said then he spotted Azula in his arms. He reached for her, but Zuko shook his head. "You three," he motioned, "there may still be an assassin in the training arena. Be careful, he has poison darts. I'll send for reinforcements immediately." They nodded and ran in the direction he'd come from. "You, go to my quarters and check on my family. Get Mai and the children to safety and don't leave their side. I'm counting on you." The guard nodded ran left down the hallway.

Zuko ran forward. "Please, Azula," he whispered through his labored breathing, "don't die. Don't leave me again. Please, sis, c'mon. Stay with me." Her face was turning red, and her neck looked blackened. Zuko prayed it was because of the dim lighting. Her mouth was still opened in a terrified 'O', but her eyes were closed now. "Azula, you don't get to die on me. Do you hear me? I don't care what that poison does. You don't get to leave! Please…" there was no response. Zuko's heart was racing a million miles an hour. He couldn't lose her. He was supposed to protect her not the other way around. "Please, don't do this."

* * *

Sokka reread the letter for the fifth time.

_To My Dear Sokka,_

_I miss you more than anything in the world. I want nothing more than to be with you. Every second I'm not in your arms I feel empty, but Kyoshi Island needs me. The people need me. I can't ignore my obligations anymore than you can ignore yours. I know this hurts you, and my heart is breaking even as I write this. Sokka, My Love, I can't come to you. Maybe…Maybe…when things settle down we can see each other. I can't leave them, Sokka. Please understand. I hope you can have it in your heart to forgive me. I will always love you._

_Your Love,_

_Suki._

Sokka wanted to crumple the paper and rip it to shreds, but his fingers wouldn't move. His heart wouldn't let him because Suki had written this to him. It was a good-bye letter, one that finally put into words what they had both been feeling for some time. They would never get to see each other, not soon anyway. Like she said, they both had obligations to their people, but right now Sokka wanted to hang everything that was keeping him from her. It wasn't fair. Suki was the one thing in his life that was solely his, and now it was being ripped away from him.

His heart felt like it was being shredded in his chest and being thrown into a tornado. He almost couldn't breathe through the lump in his throat, and his body was numb. Sokka tried to stitch his heart back together for his people, but his grief slipped through the holes. He didn't know how long he sat in silence thinking about her, but when someone knocked on his door, the sun had set suddenly and the moon was out.

"Come in," he said, but he wanted to damn whoever it was to the abyss for coming to him.

The thick ice door opened, and his assistant Hanna stepped in. "Chieftain, I'm going home for the night. Is there anything I can do to you before I leave?"

_She knows_, he thought. He didn't know how she knew. The scroll was still sealed when he received, but it was still from Suki. She knew their relationship wasn't going well, and she had probably guessed this was going to happen a long time ago.

"No," he snapped. She flinched at his tone. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. You can go home."

She half-smiled nervously. "It's okay. If you need anything…just say so." She bowed ever so slightly and shut the door behind her. Sokka sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. The moonlight shined brightly through his open balcony. It was almost full tonight. He wondered if Suki was looking at the moon right now. He hoped so. Maybe that could be their link until they saw each other next. He knew there would be no other person for him, and he hoped she felt the same. "I love you, Suk-" There was a flash of black and the moon disappeared. Something sharp pricked his exposed neck. Then the black was gone, and the moon glistened beautifully off his ice palace.

But Sokka was burning.


	2. Saving a Hero

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**Sorry this update took so long. I had Girl's State and that lasted a whole week. Believe me, I had no time to write. This chapter is longer than the first. I'm really not sure how long the chapters are going to be. It'll probably just depend on what happens. The villian is introduced :O Don't forget to review or make any suggestions because I thrive on them. Seriously, if I had to choose between a review and a meal, I'd choose the review every time. **

* * *

**SAVING A HERO**

Katara took a deep breath. Her heart fluttered, and she felt as if it were about to fly out of her chest. Her fingertips itched in anticipation. Every muscle in her body tingled in excitement. She exhaled trying to get rid of her nerves. She was Katara Hakoda, the best water bender in the world. She had no reason to fear anyone. In the back of her mind she thought about all her opponent's accomplishments and powers, the rumors that circulated about him. Katara knew most of them were exaggerated. There were a few about her that were quite dramatized, but she knew she had never faced a bender like this since Azula. She forced herself to stop. He didn't matter. She did. She was going to annihilate him and make the sniveling, pretty boy run with his tail between his legs back to his mother.

Steadily a beat grew outside of the double doors in front of her. The underground arena was coming alive. The beat increased in intensity, growing louder and faster as the crowd came alive in anticipation for what many were calling the fight of the year. Katara was not afraid of the crowd. They loved her. To them, she was a hero and everyone else was just looking for fame, but she knew this fight would be different. She calmed her breathing again and cupped her hands in front of her mouth. She let out a long sigh and felt the moisture from her breath. The water crystallized in her hand. Chills ran up her spine but not from the cold.

A horn sounded and the double doors opened. The audience roared in a mad frenzy, but to Katara everything was quiet. With one final moment of peace, she stepped out into the light shaping the ice on her palms into hundreds of tiny spears. The arena floor was sunk fifty feet below everything else for both the participants' and onlookers' safety. More than once a fighter was almost crushed to death by the horde when he was flung into the stands. Across the battleground was Katara's target. His Fire Nation emblem blazed red against his black cloth armor. Even from a hundred feet away Katara saw the grim amusement that all fire benders seemed to have when they smelled blood.

Katara growled venomously. Acid filled her mouth, and white hot anger surged into her body so violently she almost lost control of herself. Underneath all the anger she could feel her own hurt fueling it like a heartbeat. Power coursed under her skin, and everything disappeared except for him. She could feel the bloodlust taking over, and she didn't fight it. He was the enemy. He saw it in his eyes that he was going to for blood. Well, so would she. All of her fears were forgotten. This wasn't the first time Katara had fought for her life, and it wouldn't be the first time she would win.

His grinned widened as he took his battle stance. Katara recognized his movements immediately. There were troughs of water lining the entire arena floor with pipes filling them whenever needed. Katara emptied two troughs and built a thick ice wall half way between him and her. The air around her sizzled with energy. There was an earsplitting crack as lightning shattered her wall into a thousand ice shards. Katara sent each shard racing towards him, but they melted before they could reach him.

The power of her anger was still running strong. The beat and cheers from the crowd gave her wings as she gathered water from ten troughs and used them to spiral twenty feet above him. A tornado of fire blinded the crowd and Katara as he rose higher and higher until they were eye to eye. The fighters stared at each other for a moment, and the crowd quieted. "Who are you?" Katara yelled.

He didn't answer. The next few seconds were a blur. There was a blinding flash of light. What felt like a brick wall hit Katara's chest. She lost control of the water and felt herself freefalling to the ground. Something heavy was still weighted on her chest. There was split second of palpable fear until she was able to break one of her hands free from whatever was on her. She splashed harmlessly into a pool of water. Instincts drove her to freeze the water, but the ice melted before it could form. Her pool evaporated under her. Katara's skin felt like it was on fire. She remembered the time Aang had burned her hand accidentally while he was learning fire bending and wanted to laugh at that pain. She was being suffocated in heat. Her eyes landed on the man lying on top of her. She couldn't move through the heat, and she could barely think straight.

Her anger still boiled under the surface, but its intensity was nothing compared to what was happening to her. His eyes glowed dark gold like dying embers, and his face was set in a spiteful grin. Katara attempted to struggle against his hold, but she was powerless next to him. He lowered his face and pressed his lips against hers softly, but it felt like an inferno had just been lit. She groaned in pain and felt his smoldering lips form a smile. His cheek blazed a path across hers. His breath scorched her ear. "I am just the beginning." Then his voice changed. "Help me."

His words were so confusing, and a fear so deep and controlling Katara had no idea how to fight it took over. If she could, she knew she would be begging for mercy. Her stomach knotted, and the only thing she could think about was running away from this monster. Katara had never accepted death before, but she saw no way out of this. Faces started to float behind her eyes: Zuko, Toph, Sokka, Aang, her grandmother and father, and her mother. Just like that it was there again, that surge of energy. Adrenaline pumped through her veins restoring her control of her body. She saw his face drop and she grinned. She pulled her knees to her chest and thrust them into his sternum. She gasped as fresh air filled her lungs, but she had no time to recover.

Streaks of red zoomed at her. Katara was just barely fast enough to avoid his attacks, but she was fast enough. She knew her water would evaporate before it could get to his body, and she was trying desperately to think of a way to get to him. An idea so ludicrous and insane popped into her head she dismissed it immediately, but she quickly realized it was her only chance. This man was no ordinary bender, but neither was she. She didn't know if it would work, but it was her only shot. Katara pulled the water rushing from the various pipes that spilled into the troughs and formed it into a high dome. The water cracked as it shaped a barrier between them and the crowd. The motion almost cost her dearly as one of his torrents caught her in the arm, but there was no pain. The temperature dropped until she could see her breath, and she knew he would feel the effects too no matter how 'hot' he was.

He roared and charged towards her. Swords of fire billowed from each of his hands, but Katara just readied herself. She took a deep breath and reached for the water she knew she would find in his body. It was there under a lot of heat, but she could get to it. She narrowed her eyes and grinned. They were only a few feet apart now. Katara could still feel his heat, but she was in control now. He started to swing his right hand towards her face, but she landed the palm of her hand squarely in his chest. He stopped moving, and the fires extinguished in his hands.

Katara had expected fear or at least shock from him because even she didn't know she could blood bend without a full moon, but the man's aggravating grin just got bigger. A small, maddening chuckle escaped his lips. "She's been waiting for you for a long time."

Katara frowned. "What are you talking about?"

This time, the man howled in laughter. Katara tightened her grip. He stopped laughing, but she couldn't get that stupid grin off his face. "You see, I am the beginning, but, you, you are the end. Have you talked to your 'hero' friends lately?" His words were strained as if he were in pain. Katara checked her hold on him and couldn't find any reason for him to be feeling and pain.

His question caught her off guard. She knew exactly who he was talking about. "What do they have to do with this?" Katara's heart was beating a million times a minute from adrenaline. She felt the water within him moving under her control. She didn't alter its natural course, if she did that he would die, but whenever he tried to move she was able to force it to not change its direction. Katara expected it to be hard to keep control of a fighter like him, but it didn't even feel like he was putting up a struggle.

He smirked at her. "They are the whole reason I'm here. Perhaps if you weren't so hard to find we could have avoided all the…mess." Again, his voice dropped at the word like he hated saying it.

"What mess? What are you talking about?"

"How long has it been since you've talked to Toph? Six months? What about your brother and the Fire Lord? Hmm? Have you checked up on them?" His voice hung on the last words. Katara could hear the threat behind them.

"I swear, if you hurt any of them, I will make you suffer-"

He cackled again. "My Dear, I am already suffering." Katara thought she saw his eyes flash with pain, but it was too quick for her to be sure she really saw it before they were back to their bemused glaze. "And if I were you, I wouldn't be worrying so much about impressing these heathens or running away from whatever it is you are-" Katara clenched her fingers. His body writhed under her grip, but he kept talking. "I would worry about repairing my relationships before it's too late." He was sniggering through his words and looked up at her with a cheeky grin when he was done.

Katara growled. She flung her arm, and consequently his body, towards the metal wall of the arena. She swore she heard a muffled giggle before he slumped to the ground. The ice dome melted causing a waterfall to wash over the floor. The water sizzled as it touched his unconscious body. There was a moment's pause as the onlookers took in the scene below them. Then they erupted in a fanfare of cheers. Katara bowed and waved at them victoriously, but she kept glancing back at her defeated opponent with the feeling that in all actually he had won and she was the one with her back to the wall.

The double doors opened again behind her. Time sped up, and Katara felt like she was watching herself from someone else's eyes. The next thing she remembered she was inside the shaft that led to the surface. Her right arm was starting to throb, and she was beginning to feel the effects of a concussion. But all she could think about was Toph, Sokka, and Zuko. The man had specifically mentioned them. Why was Aang left out? And what kind of danger could they be in? They were three of the best warriors on the planet. They had survived the front lines of a war when they were only kids. _He's lying_. Katara decided. There's nothing wrong with any of them. He was just trying to get inside my head.

And it was working because no matter how many times Katara told herself that when the shaft opened into an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the Inner City she was running towards the palace, to Toph. _How am I going to explain myself once I get there? Oh, hi, Toph, I know the last time we saw each other I was a fugitive, but I heard you were in trouble. Just thought I'd check in._ She could only imagine the look on the earth bender's face, and on top of that, Katara was risking imprisonment. Bending Battles weren't legal yet in Ba Sing Se, and Katara was one of the ring leaders behind the whole operation.

_This is stupid. There's no way Toph or Sokka or Zuko is hurt. They've all got entire armies guarding them. What the _hell_ could have happened?_ But Katara didn't stop. It had been weeks since she'd actually walked the streets of Ba Sing Se, but she knew immediately something was off. It was barely twilight and the Inner City resembled a ghost town more than a major metropolitan area. It wasn't until she started getting closer to the palace that people started to appear. Thousands of people gathered in front of the palace gates. Katara could see evidence of campfires, and most people looked packed to stay in their spots for days. When she reached the outskirts of the mass she tapped a man on the shoulder. "Excuse me, what's going on?"

He sneered at her like she was stupid. "Where have you been? The entire city's been in a panic for two days. Someone tried to kill Lieutenant Bei Fong. She got the bastard though. Squished him between two rocks. Too quick a death if you ask me. Hey, are you all right? Your heads bleeding and your arm's…burnt."

His words knocked the breath out of her like a physical attack, and she couldn't take any more air in. She leaned up against the man for support. "Toph…" she gasped. "I have to get to her." That was her only thought. "I have to see her. Where is she?" Everything the man from the arena said started to play back in her head.

"She's in the palace, but they're not letting anyone in. Wait, you're…holy spirits, you're Katara the Southern Water Bender. Is it true you once took out a whole Fire Nation brigade by trapping them in an iceberg?" Katara ignored him.

"Take me to the palace, please." She could feel tears start to brim her eyes, but she blinked them away. She couldn't lose it here in front of all of these people.

"Of course. Can you walk?"

Katara felt like pointing out to him that she had obviously walked here, but there wasn't time. "Yes, just get me through the crowd." She realized there was another, much quicker way to get through these people, but she didn't have the energy for that at the moment. And it would only cause mass chaos is suddenly no one could move. The man held out his hand, and she took it. He screamed something about 'Katara' and 'palace', but she wasn't listening. She could only think about Toph. "Is she okay?" she asked hoarsely, but the man didn't hear her. "Is she okay?" Katara repeated louder.

The man was pushing through the crowd who was beginning to part as word spread that Katara was there. "No one knows. They're not telling us anything. For all we know she could be-" he stopped.

Katara knew what he was going to say but couldn't bring herself to even think the word. "She's not dead. I know it. She's fine."

"I hope your right," he mumbled.

"I am," she said confidently, and she believed it. There was no way Toph could be dead. If she was dead that would mean Sokka and Zuko could be dead as well, and that wasn't an option. The anguish of losing someone she loved suddenly started to creep in. The feeling of her mother's murder and the loss that followed stung her heart. _I can't go through that again._ "Please, Toph," she whispered, "don't leave me."

Two armored guards stopped in front of them. Katara could see the Palace Guard insignia on their helmets and breastplate. "Are you Lady Katara?" One of them asked.

It took Katara a second to remember she had to answer them. "Yes. Take me to Toph."

The lead guard nodded stiffly and turned to Katara's escort. "We can take it from here."

The man looked down at Katara and smiled. "Looks like this is where you get off."

"Thank you," Katara said letting go of his hand. The Palace Guards turned around and started back through the crowd who had formed a circle around the group. Katara followed them. Until now she hadn't heard the murmurs, but now they were all she could hear.

"Look at her arm. I bet it's from a bending match. I've never seen anyone beat her."

"She's a criminal maybe they're arresting her."

"Such potential. It's a shame she didn't use it for good."

"She should be ashamed to show her face in public."

Katara sped up until she was standing next to one of the guards. "What's wrong with Toph?"

"_Lieutenant _Bei Fong's situation cannot be disclosed at-"

"To _hell_ it can't," Katara paused, shocked at her own words. "I'm sorry. I'm just…it's a lot to take in." The guard kept his pace, and Katara almost had to run to keep up with him. "She's alive right?" she choked.

The guard nodded, and Katara instantly heard the people around them start to murmur the good news to the rest of the crowd. Within moments, people were singing and dancing. Cheers erupted across the horde. Katara saw the guard scowl and glare down at the ground. She didn't ask any more questions. It was clear whatever was going on, the king was trying to keep it as quiet as possible. That would explain how Katara hadn't heard about it until now. _My brother and Zuko._ Were they still alive? _Damn it, the war's over. I'm not supposed to have to have to worry about this anymore._ Katara gritted her teeth.

She wouldn't let herself start planning anyone's death. She was going to find Toph, and go from there because that's all she could do right now. _I have to ask them about Sokka and Zuko_, she decided. She eyed the curious crowd who was taking a bigger interest in her as they got closer to the palace wall. She could see gates that led to the Garden of Poi, the entrance to the palace, but blocking their way were rows of heavily armored Palace Guards. The crowd gave the guardsmen plenty of room. Katara saw why when a daring woman got to close and was pushed back with a slab of stone. The mob was booing the guards, but when Katara broke the barrier between the security and spectators cheers broke out. She glanced over her shoulder wondering what could have caused the people to go from 'she should be ashamed to show her face' to acting like she was a hero again.

_What are they expecting from me?_

"Wave," the guard next to her ordered. Katara raised her eyebrows but obeyed. She waved awkwardly back before she was encircled by armored men. The throng exploded in applause.

"What was that about?" she blushed.

"They're hoping you can save her," her guardian answered without looking at her. "We all are." The sea of black uniforms parted just like the citizens as Katara passed.

"What?" Katara hissed. "_Save _her? I don't even know what's wrong with her."

"She was poisoned. Our best healers and herbalists haven't even been able to break the fever." Katara heard his voice crack, and realized this man must care about Toph too. All these people did. Perhaps they didn't know her personally, but, to them, she was a beacon of hope and a figure of strength and power. She was there champion, their hero, and they were expecting Katara to save her.

"What makes you think I'll be able to then?" She said.

"Because if you can't then she'll die, and you won't let that happen. Because if you do, I will have you put in prison until you rot."

Katara scowled. Her heart felt like it was being stabbed, but a friend's life had been in her hands before. It was a feeling she didn't enjoy, but she knew if she shied away from it, she would lose someone she cared about. "You're right. I won't let her die, and if I do, _I'll_ put myself in the cell."

The man looked at her for the first time with a half smile. They were at the entrance now. Two guards stepped in front of them. Their faces were covered in dark green masks. "State your business."

"I have Katara Hakoda, the Southern Water Bender. She's here to-"

"You're Katara Hakoda, Champion of Water and Ice?"

She couldn't tell if the soldier was looking at her, but she straightened her shoulders and was suddenly very self-conscious of her appearance. Her arm was still throbbing painfully, and she couldn't decide if her head was pounding because of an injury or from stress. It was probably both. "Y-yes, that's me."

Neither soldier moved. "You are aware she is a wanted fugitive by both Ba Sing Se's officers and the Earth Kingdom's military for inciting a riot, disturbing the peace, escaping custody, assaulting an officer-"

"Hey, he had that coming!" Katara blurted indignantly.

"-and participating in and organizing the illegal act of battle bending, just to name a few?"

Katara glared at the soldier she thought was talking. Just when she was about to defend herself, the Palace Guardsmen next to her grabbed her wrist protectively. "I am aware that she has the potential to save Lieutenant Bei Fong if we are to believe the rumors of her powers, and I would hate to be responsible for withholding the treatment that could save our leader's life."

Katara fidgeted not only because she realized that the multitude of people behind her was suddenly deathly quiet but the guardsmen's words were like daggers to her bleeding heart. _Save her life._ She was supposed to be done with all this. After the war, Katara promised herself she would never be responsible for anyone else again, yet here she was proclaiming she could save Toph in front of the entire city of Ba Sing Se when she didn't even really know what was wrong. She kept a straight face though. She wasn't going to let these men see her as weak.

The Green Faces as Katara had nicknamed them, both stiffened. She grinned. She knew they wouldn't, couldn't, deny letting her see Toph. Katara thought about the countless times Toph had saved her from getting arrested. _We're even after this, Toph. _The Green Faces reluctantly stepped to the side. Katara couldn't help but give a cocky smirk as she walked by to the Green Face who had talked. She couldn't be sure, but she thought she heard an aggravated sigh.

"Please, don't," her guide muttered to her, "they care about the Lieutenant too. You are a wanted criminal: not exactly someone who's let into the palace during a crisis."

Katara knew he wasn't trying to hurt her with his words. She knew the masses considered her a vigilante, a _criminal_ and to most she was a sad story. "_That's what happens without good parenting." _They'd say. Or, Katara's personal favorite. "_She's just doing it for attention."_ Yes, because she wasn't going to get attention for saving the entire planet. "It doesn't mean I deserve to be treated like that. Toph was…is…my friend."

The guard chuckled, but Katara didn't have time to ask why. Once they stepped into the garden, another horde of green masks stepped in their way. Katara instinctively took a battle stance and started contemplating her odds. "Let them through!" A man called behind them. It was the same Green Face who had tried to not let her in. She realized he could have said that before they even entered the garden. He _wanted_ her to attack one of the Dai Lee. Katara growled.

"I know," her escort whispered. She could hear the anger in his voice as well. "Just smile and keep walking." The Dai Lee split letting them through. Katara could feel their eyes on her. The hair on her arms and neck stood on end, but she kept a smile on her face and continued to walk confidently. When they were out of the garden, she exhaled in relief.

"Where's Toph?" She asked.

"This way," he said leading her to the right. "The guards within the palace are under orders to let us pass. There shouldn't be any trouble." She scoffed, but didn't remark.

Katara had only been to the palace once since the end of the war, so she was lost in an instant. That might have been her companion's idea because she swore they passed the same painting three times. These men must think she's really gone off the deep end. Finally though, they stopped in front of two large, metal doors. The doors were carved with images of Toph and the others from the moment Toph joined the group until the final battle. Katara frowned at one of the last carvings. She was standing over a screaming Azula, but the carving made Azula look more like a grown man than the fourteen year old girl she had been. They were all children thrown into the front lines by fate and forced to live with the choices they made during that time.

Katara ran her hand over the carved image of her face. "I had no idea what I was doing. None of us did." She dropped her hand to the lever on the door and pushed down. _And I still don't._

* * *

The young man trembled in relief as he was drug into the tent. The cold washed over him like an answered prayer. For the moment, the smothering heat and mind numbing pain was gone. "What is your report, Zhou Yon?" Even her voice was like ice. He shivered from her words and relished in her presence. He breathed in the chilled air and couldn't help but let out a happy groan. He looked up at his reprieve. She was dressed in all white leather armor, and her sparkling silver hair was tied back in an intricate bun. Her features were sharp like they were chiseled from the ice itself. She glared down on him with large, shining white eyes. Her pupils were the color of the arctic oceans. Flecks of ice migrated slowly around them.

"My Queen, it is just as you said. She is the one, but she is weak. Her blood bending is crude and could be easily broken."

The woman looked down on her servant and grimaced. It wasn't his fault he was so pathetic. The entire human race had grown weak and complacent. Most had forgotten their beginning and the power the spirits held. She was here to fix that. She would remind the humans who held the real power, and she would rule the world as she should have from the beginning. "Then why did she escape?" The girl was key. The child was a chink in her armor. Everything depended on her.

Zhou Yon frowned. Why had he let her escape? She was nothing to him, and his queen promised freedom from his curse if he brought her the girl. Another face popped into his mind: his love, the one who he found out had been hit with the poison instead of the Fire Lord. His princess Azula. His heart ached just thinking about her, and he wondered if he'd ever get to see her again. Probably not, but if the Southern Water Bender lived then maybe Azula would too. "She caught be off guard," he answered shakily, not meeting her eyes. "It won't happen again."

The woman glared at him. She knew he was lying. She stood up from her chair. The air in the room cracked like she was moving through ice. She bent down in front of his trembling body. "My son," she said sweetly, but it sounded like glaciers crashing into the sea, "all is forgiven. I know of your carnal weakness, the love you try so hard to hide." She saw the young man twitch and grinned at his discomfort. Did he really think he could keep such a secret from her? "But I have made preparations for such an event as this. The 'Southern Water Bender' as you call her will not be able to let her friends die." She caressed his cheek in the palm of her hand.

Zhou Yon gasped as her icy hot fingers clutched his cheek. He felt his entire body growing colder until he couldn't feel anything except a hollow place where his heart should be. The cold was welcoming, and he gladly gave into it. Azula's beautiful face danced in front of his eyes before everything went dark. "Azula," he breathed as his head was encased in ice.

The woman smiled as his body turned to ice in her hands, and she couldn't help but laugh as he spoke his lover's name. She felt his life pour from his body into hers. "Good luck," she grinned. With one motion of her arm, the ice shattered. "Commander," she called sitting back down in her chair.

A thick brute looking man walked through the flap. His eyes were a bright blue, almost white. Three long scars ran from his right temple to the left side of his lower jaw. Blonde curls almost completely covered his eyes. He looked to be in his early twenties. The commander glanced down at the pile of ice; a half smile appeared on his face. "How may I serve you, My Queen?"

The woman smiled. She knew she'd picked well when she'd chose him as her commander. He was almost as unfeeling as she was and held a deep resentment towards everything weak. "Send the signal. I don't want any prisoners except the girl. Ba Sing Se will fall to me tonight."

The commander bowed low. "Yes, Lady Ki Ala," and he left the tent. Ki Ala smiled as her plan came together perfectly. The girl would be hers. These 'heroes' would be dead within days. Ki Ala turned to the side to peer into a long mirror showing a great forest blanketed with a deep layer of snow. Giant leaves and branches fell to the ground under the weight of snow and ice. Nothing moved. Nothing was alive.

"And the Avatar will be nothing without the spirits to aid him." She breathed in and relished in the feeling of fresh air. Nothing was going to stop her this time.


	3. Never Worth What It Costs

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay, I know this update took way too long and this is my official apology. I had a severe case of writer's block about the end of this chapter. I finally figured out a way to end it without making Katara look like a total flake. I also added another twist that I hadn't intended in the beginning! I hope you enjoy, and God bless. Please R&R!**

NEVER WORTH WHAT IT COSTS

_Sunrise_

Aang slammed his fists on the white marble floor. "Why are you ignoring me?" He yelled at the ceiling. His arms shook with anger. The air inside the temple started to whirl around him. Aang forced himself to take deep breaths, and the temple was still again. He cupped his face in his hands. "What am I doing wrong?" he whispered to himself. He hadn't felt this alone since he discovered Gyatso's body at the Southern Air Temple just after he escaped the iceberg. It was like someone had cut a piece of him away. He remembered what if felt like to be able to contact the spirits, but now it was just a hollow spot in his mind. He'd never noticed the actual presence of the gift until it was gone.

Aang felt alone and exposed. That's why he'd come to the Northern Air Temple to get away from the world and figure out what was wrong with him, but he'd been there for four days and nothing had happened. He spent most of his time walking the empty corridors and grieving for his people. Meditation had always been his escape from his burdens and fears, but now it was his greatest fear and burden. If he could not cross into the spirit world, he couldn't go into the Avatar state. Of course, he hadn't had to do that since his battle with Ozai, but he still felt like someone had chopped off his right hand in the middle of a sword fight.

"Roku, talk to me, please." But Aang had the same hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach. A sense of impending doom overcame him, and he started to hyperventilate. "No, stay calm. I'm still the Avatar." As if to assure himself, he caused the earth to shake, conjured a flame in the palm of his hand, made the wind whistle, and pulled water from a trickling waterfall below him into the room. An idea occurred to him. If he couldn't reach the spirits through meditation, perhaps he could through bending.

Aang settled down and exhaled as calmly as he could. Instead of trying to detach himself from the world, he concentrated on each of the individual elements around him. The mountain was massive, and though he couldn't see it, he felt it moving. The energy and beauty of the rising sun tingled across his skin. He felt the heartbeat of life in the cascading waterfall. Air, timeless and unstoppable, encircled him lifting him from the ground. He called upon each of the elements and closed his eyes. They thrummed in perfect unison. He felt the strength and power of earth, the intensity and energy of fire, the calm serenity of water, and the enlightenment of air.

There was something else too. Aang had never noticed it before because he had never been without it. He could feel another element though bending to his will. He couldn't see it or feel it on his skin, but he knew it was there. He concentrated on this fifth thing and tested its limits. As the foreign element got stronger, Aang felt the other elements fading away. At first he panicked, but then a calm familiarity settled over him. When he opened his eyes, he wasn't looking over a cliff, rather he looking down on himself. Aang grinned. "I can't believe that worked."

"Avatar Aang? How did you get here?"

Aang turned around and couldn't help but stare. Standing in front of him was Yang Chen, the air nomad Avatar before him, but that wasn't what shocked him. She wasn't so much standing in front of him as floating in midair ten feet passed the edge of a cliff. Aang shook his head. He bowed low reminding himself that she was still a master and still deserved respect even in the spirit world. "I'm not quite sure," he said, "I couldn't make any contact with the spirits, so I used my bending to, well, I don't know exactly. I guess I opened some sort of doorway to…here."

Yang Chen shook her head. "We have been trying to contact you as well, Young Avatar, but I am impressed. Very few Avatars learn the skill you so easily mastered. Of course, very few have had to learn it, but you are by far the youngest."

Aang bowed his head. "Thank you for your praise. May I ask you a question or...a few questions?"

The Avatar Spirit smiled gently and started walking towards the drop off. She stopped in front of Aang. "Yes, Young Avatar, and I will do my best to answer."

Aang swallowed. "Why haven't I been able to make contact with the spirits? I feel like a part of me is missing."

Yang Chen's face dropped. He saw her eyes flash with regret...and fear? Aang's heart fluttered in his chest. Never had he seen an Avatar Spirit afraid, not even when Roku told him about Sozin's Comet. "Avatar Aang, there is much you do not know about the spirit world, that you were never meant to know until you made your final journey," she narrowed her eyes. "Events are happening in the world right now that will affect not only the living but also the dead, so I am afraid some of our darkest secrets will be revealed."

"Oh, that's…a lot more cryptic than I was expecting. I thought maybe I just had a cold?" Aang felt foolish next to this master and regretted his words instantly.

She frowned darkly. "I assure you, Aang, no common illness has done this to you. It takes great power to close off the spirit world, power that only select beings have. One such being is who has done this. It is a miracle that you were able to break through her influence. There is no way to know how long it will last. We have already wasted too much time. Aang, listen to me, your friends are in trouble."

Aang paused. "What?"

"There is a great evil plotting not only your downfall but the end of all the Avatar's before and after you as well. Her plan is already in motion. Aang, this is very important. Are you listening?" All Aang could do was nod. One innocent face kept breaking his concentration. _Katara, please be okay._

"Find your friend, the Southern Water Bender, and at all costs protect her. I will give you what information I can, but you have to find the White Lotus. They can hel-" her eyes looked passed Aang and widened in fear. Aang started to turn around, but she grabbed him by the shoulders. "Leave now, Avatar. Remember what I told you. Find the water bender and the White Lotus. Go!"

"Go? I don't even know how I got here!" He yelled trying to look behind him again.

"No! This is not your fight yet, Young One. You are strong, but you cannot fight this battle alone. Your friends will be more important now than ever before. Remember my instructions."

Aang started to protest but she leaned into his face. A cool breeze washed over him, and she started to fade away from him. He tried to cling to her, but the world slipped away. He gasped when he was back in his body. He turned in a circle knowing it wouldn't do any good. He groaned and slammed his fists down. He thought about trying to cross over again, but he had the feeling it wouldn't do any good this time. Whatever Yang Chen had seen, she wasn't going to let Aang help. He scrambled to his feet as he remembered Yang Chen's instructions. Aang pulled out a bison shaped whistle he always carried around his neck and blew into it. Within seconds, Appa was floating almost exactly where Yang Chen had in the spirit world.

Aang jumped onto Appa and realized he had no idea where he was going. _Find Katara. _That was Yang Chen's first command. The problem was Aang hadn't spoke to Katara in over a year. The last he heard about her was from Toph, and that was only to complain that Katara was terrorizing Ba Sing Se. Aang had rolled his eyes at the dramatic earth bender. She and Katara had never seen eye to eye on much of anything. Now he was thankful for Toph's complaining. "Appa, we're going to Ba Sing Se. Yip! Yip!" The sky bison rocketed into the sky and over the mountain tops where the air was thinner and easier to navigate. "Fly fast, buddy."

His feeling of doom returned. Aang started to really worry about Katara and the others, but then he was always worried about Katara. He doubted there was a day that had went by since they ended the war that he hadn't thought about her. She was in all his dreams, and every time his mind drifted she was there in his thoughts. More than once he had tried to get over her and respect the choices she'd made, but he could never bring himself to let go of her. There was simply no one else for him even if she thought there was someone else for her. Just the thought of Katara with some other man caused his gentle heart to break.

He thought after the war was over they could begin to work on the love he felt blooming between them, but she had left him empty handed with his arms outstretched. The sad and pathetic thing was though is that he had never retracted his embrace. If at any moment, Katara decided she wanted to be with him, he would be there in an instant. Just like now when she had turned him down countless times, he was still coming to her rescue because that's all he could do. She was everything to him. He tried to imagine his future without her in it, and everything just seemed dark and unimportant. Aang knew, even if it took fifty years, which he hoped it didn't, he would always wait on her.

The wind blew across his exposed face. He bent down against the top of Appa's head for reprieve, but he couldn't escape the tearing sensation in his heart no matter how hard he tried.

* * *

Zuko held Azula's burning hand and laid his head down next to her arm. He could feel the heat emitting from her body. "More water," he croaked. To his left, he heard someone dip a rag in water and place it over Azula. He shook with anger and frustration. This wasn't supposed to happen. He was supposed to protect her. Why the hell would the spirits bring her back to him just for him to watch her fade away again? He cursed everything: the spirits, himself, the Fire Nation, the assassin, and even Azula for being so stupid and taking the dart for him. That should be him on the table, not her. She had already been through so much…she was his little sister. A dark memory of her screaming and crying while being tied to a sewer popped in his head. He shook it away. No, she wasn't that person anymore. She was never that person. That was only the crazed, power-hungry maniac their father had made her.

"Azula, if you can hear me, please," his throat felt like it was bleeding from his cries, "you've come through worse than this. I've seen you. You're amazing and wonderful and deserve so much more than this. Azula, do not let this poison beat you. Did you hear that? It's going to _beat _you. If you die, you lose. I know you hate losing, so just kick some ass and come out of this okay?" He looked up at her face. Beads of sweat ran down her forehead and landed in a puddle around her ears. Zuko avoided looking at her neck where the dart had hit her. He knew the skin was blackened, charred, and resembled a burnt log more than a human chest.

Zuko heard a door open and close but ignored it until someone placed a hand on his shoulder. He shook it off. "Go away," he ordered.

"Zuko," it was Mai. He felt her kneel beside him. She wrapped her arms around his and forced him to look at her. He grimaced seeing the concern on her face. "Zuko, you haven't left this spot in two days. I miss you. Our children, Iroh and Ursa, remember them? They miss their father. They're scared." She paused. "I'm scared."

Zuko swallowed the lump in his throat and brought Mai into his arms. He felt his wife crumble. She clung to him as if he were falling off a cliff. "That could be you," she whispered. He heard the tears in her words. Mai had never cried except when their twins were born three years ago. Zuko held her tighter letting her sob into his chest.

"But it's not," he murmured into her neck and letting his lips linger there for another moment. "I'm right here, and I'm fine. I'm sorry I've been so selfish. I should have thought about you and the children. I was just so…I keep thinking what if she dies? How am I going to be able to live with myself?"

Mai pulled away from him just enough to look him in the eyes. Zuko's heart broke seeing her red puffy eyes and the tears brimming them. "I'm going to tell you something that if Azula knew I told you, one of us would end up dead." Zuko glanced back down at his sister then back at his wife. "All she ever wanted was for you to love her."

Zuko pulled away as if Mai had struck him. "Whatever."

"Zuko, I'm not joking." Zuko looked at her again. Mai was never this emotional unless it had to do with the children. She was too scared she was going to get hurt. "You weren't there. I saw her when no one else did. Everything she did, in some twisted, demented sort of way was so you would be proud of her even if it meant you feared her. It was all she knew."

"Why are you telling me this?" he asked. "I already feel terrible," but her words had lightened the load on his heart just a little. He would have never suspected what Mai just told him. For most of his life, he thought Azula was nothing more than a tyrannical power seeker. His father had left severe emotional and physical scars on him. He never stopped to consider the damage he would be able to do against Azula. His teeth ground together just thinking of the horrors Azula had to live through with no one there to help her. At least he had had his mother and Uncle. Azula was forced to live through her own hell with no hope of a way out. So she did whatever it took to survive in the world in which she was raised.

"I'm telling you this so you'll stop beating yourself up over what's happened. She chose this, and, not matter what you feel, this isn't your fault. I stayed with Azula for as long as I could. Maybe I was hoping I could save her, but, Zuko, you did save her. When everyone else had already given up on her, you pulled her out of the ashes. She wouldn't have this any other way."

Zuko smiled at his amazing wife, wondering what in the world he had done to deserve a woman like her. He leaned his forehead against hers, and they both closed their eyes simply enjoying the other's presence. "Thank you," he whispered not sure if she could hear him. Almost instantly after the words left his mouth, her lips gently pressed against his, but the kiss only lasted a second.

"There's something else," Mai whispered.

"Isn't there always?" He half-smiled. Zuko was surprised by how much effort it took just for that little gesture. He felt like his face was set in a permanent scowl.

Mai bit her lip nervously. She looked down at her friend, hoping that she'd understand. It was Azula's biggest secret, one that only a handful of people in the world knew. Mai had sworn herself to secrecy, but this changed everything. She had to be realistic. If Azula didn't make it through this, Mai was going to need Zuko's help. She didn't meet her husband's face but kept her eyes locked on the dying girl. "Azula…Azula has a daughter."

* * *

Katara paused with her hand on the lever. "Lady Katara, is everything okay?" the guard asked.

She swallowed hard. "I promised myself I would never be put in these situations ever again," she admitted. She gripped the door handle for support. "And I don't know if I can do this, what you're expecting of me." To Katara it felt like she was admitting defeat just like she had done in the arena. What had happened to her? Her will was what permitted her to do the impossible just a few years ago, but she knew now she wasn't the innocent, dreamer she had been. Katara had seen the darkness of humanity and had quickly realized no matter how hard she tried, she would never be able to stop it. So she had quit trying.

A strong hand landed on her shoulder. She looked up at the man responsible for getting her to this point. Only now did she see the tears that were breaking through his armor. "You are here to save her. I do not believe in coincidences. Just like you were there to bring the Avatar back to the world so you will bring us back our hero. Perhaps you strayed from the path, but I believe you're finding your way back, starting here."

Katara nodded and took in a deep breath. "You're good at this."

He chuckled. "I have experience with teenaged minds. My little brother gave me hell growing up."

Katara couldn't help but laugh. It was the first time in a long time that anyone had addressed her age. Sometimes Katara felt like the world had forgotten how young she was and how much had been taken away from her. She decided she liked this man. "So now I go in and save the day?"

"Now you go in and do what you can, but, yes 'saving the day' would be nice."

"Right," she said trying not to convey her skepticism. Katara took another breath and pulled down on the lever. She blinked and started to open the door, but before she could step in, the ground shook violently throwing her back against the wall. Her ears rang, and she couldn't hear anything else. Her vision was shaky, and her head was pounding with new intensity. When she could finally think and see straight, her first thought was the guard. She didn't even know his name to call out for him, but she found him lying against the wall a few feet away from her. She scrambled to him and checked his neck for a pulse. Katara sighed in relief when she felt his blood pumping steadily.

The doors to Toph's room were hanging on their hinges. Katara sprinted through the doorway as another blast sent her sprawling across the floor. She shook her head trying to find Toph. Two sets of hard hands pulled her to her feet. "Let go! Where's Toph?" Her eyes landed on the large bed and the tiny figure lying there. "Toph…" Katara breathed.

"What are you doing here?"

Katara's ears were still ringing from the second explosion. She didn't even see the tall, lanky woman until she stepped in between her and Toph. Katara glared at her. "Let me go! I'm here to help her, and what the hell is going on?" Something in Katara clicked. Memories that she tried so hard to forget told her exactly what was happening: they were under attack.

"You're Katara Hakoda?" The woman said condescendingly. "I was expecting…more."

"I'll show you more if you don't get these two clowns off me. I'm here to help!" Katara's mind was trying desperately to process what was happening. The Earth Kingdom wasn't at war. Who would be stupid enough to attack Ba Sing Se? Even caught off-guard its military would be assembled and ready to fight unless…_unless its leader is dying._ She jerked her right arm up and used her captors balance against them to wiggle it free. Without hesitation, she swung her free arm into the face of the person on her left. "Let me through," she growled.

The woman stiffened. Bombs exploded across the city shaking the palace bedroom. Katara could hear the screams of the panicked crowd. _Holy shit, they're all targets. _A quarter of Ba Sing Se's population had to be out there. She could only imagine the blood being spilled outside the walls. "I'm not going to tell you again: move aside or our fate is the same as the people out there."

Katara sighed in relief when the woman stepped to the side of the bed and knelt down beside Toph. She watched the woman grab Toph's hand. "Please," she whispered. The change in character caught Katara by surprise. She rounded the edge of the bed and began taking in Toph's condition. Beads of sweat ran down her face and most of her body. A pool of sweat surrounded her. Even over the screaming and bombs Katara could hear the girl's raspy, forced breaths. Her skin was red as if she was in a sauna, and her left shoulder was covered in bloody, pink rags. Katara leaned down to touch Toph and gasped when she felt the heat emitting from her skin. She felt like the man from the arena.

That's when she understood. "It was a set up…" she muttered.

"What?" the woman hissed. "Can you heal her or not? If you can't, I need to figure a way to get her out of here."

Katara ignored her. He stared at Toph's face. Her eyes were closed, but her lips were set in a pained grimace. _My Dear, I am already suffering._ His words echoed in her mind as she ran her fingers inches over Toph's body trying to figure out what was happening inside her. It was almost like blood bending the man from before except this heat wasn't everywhere. She could feel it winding through Toph's bloodstream. It was hard to try to control it though because wherever the poison was the strongest, the water in her body lessoned. "It seems to be…dehydrating her and…boiling her blood. I need to…"

This was more complicated than she imagined. She was going to have to pull the water repellent poison out by surrounding it with water while not altering Toph's blood flow or taking away from what little water she had left. "I can't…I can't do it…I'm sorry." Katara backed away and bowed her hand. The woman broke into deep sobs, but Katara could only look at Toph. "I'm sorry…" Tears ran down her cheeks. She couldn't breathe. She didn't want to breathe. She didn't _deserve_ to breathe. An overwhelming sense of shame and guilt pressed down on her chest. Katara felt herself begin to panic.

A hard, familiar hand fell on her shoulder. "I'm sorry. I just…I can't."

"Yes, you can," the guard said. Katara shrugged away and glared at him.

"How do you know? I didn't ask for any of this! Why do you even think I can, huh? Why do you have so much faith in me?" Katara turned back around. She forced herself to look at Toph's face. Katara hadn't hated herself this much since she'd found her mother dead. _I couldn't save her, and I can't save you. I'm sorry, Toph._

"I know because you will never give up…just like you wouldn't let my little brother Haru give up."

Katara swiveled around. "You're Haru's brother?" Looking into his eyes now, she could see it. Haru's flash of defiance that had made her believe in his village, in herself, was there in his brother's eyes as well.

He nodded and smiled at her. "My brother told me what you did. _You_ did: not Avatar Aang, the Firelord, or your brother, or even our Lieutenant. _You,_ Katara."

Katara closed her eyes and turned back around. _I'm not her anymore. I don't know what's wrong with me. I can't fight evil. It always wins even when it appears to have lost. _She rubbed her stomach trying to quench the hollow feeling there. "Things change. People change."

Two calloused hands guided hers away from her body and onto Toph's arm. "Maybe so, but no one ever said they couldn't change back."

Katara swallowed hard. Toph's skin was burning under her touch. "I will try," she gritted.

"That's all I ask."

She sighed and concentrated on her friend's body again. _I can do this, _she repeated over and over in her head. _I can do this…for Toph and for myself._ A distant memory forced its way to the forefront of her mind. "I can do this."

_There is water in the most unlikely of places. You can even make water from thin air. _

Katara grinned despite her situation. She exhaled and twisted her wrists over Toph's body. She kept her eyes closed, but Katara heard the water begin to sizzle as it covered Toph's body. There was another explosion. It shook the room, but Katara kept her concentration. That was just a test. The real challenge would be creating water within Toph's body. If Katara knew one thing, it was that hesitation would get you or the ones you loved killed.

Without another thought, she focused all her energy within the earth bender's bloodstream. Almost instantly, Katara could feel her blood replenishing itself with water. The poison was like a blind spot. She knew where it was, but she couldn't see it. Again, Hama's words rang in her head. _There is water in the most unlikely of places._

Katara redirected her focus towards the poison instead of away from it. She smiled again when she felt traces of her element inside the toxin. She forced the water into the poison until the created solution was so diluted she could control the substance completely. Already she could feel Toph's skin begin to cool under her hands. "You're doing it," someone whispered close behind her, but Katara refused to break concentration. The poison was still a threat.

Katara felt Toph's heart start to beat slower but stronger. It wasn't until she started to lose control of the poison that she realized it was disappearing completely. She kept hold of the water as Toph's immune system did the rest. When she couldn't feel any more traces of the toxin, she let go of her hold over Toph's body and opened her eyes. She had to steady herself. She thought she was going to feint but strong arms caught her. "You did it," Haru's brother beamed down at her.

She smiled at her new friend and looked at Toph. The redness had already disappeared from her skin and her breathing was steady. The woman was running a wet rag over Toph's face and crying. She looked at Katara. "Thank you," she said tearfully. "Thank you for saving my daughter."

Katara bowed her head. "You're welcome," but their celebration was short lived as another, closer, explosion shook the walls and caused one of them to crack. It threw the inhabitants of the room in all directions and tossed Toph off the bed. A small groan escaped her lips. "We have to get out of here." Katara said standing shakily to her feet. Healing Toph had taken a toll on her body. She felt more drained than she did after a bending battle. Adrenaline kept her on her feet and ready to fight though. She eyed the guard who was getting to his feet as well. "Who is attacking us?"

Haru's brother shrugged his shoulders, but she could see his worry in his expression. "My only concern right now is getting you three to safety." He walked over to the spot where Toph's mother had her in her arms. "May I take her?" The woman hesitated but let her daughter's body slip into her hands. He looked back at Katara. "Our best chance is the underground tunnels. Can you navigate them?"

Katara rolled her eyes. "Let's go." She started towards the door but stopped when she heard another wave of screams as more bombs landed. She looked out the window across the room. She could see the glow of flames, and the smell of sulfur and burning flesh wafted into the room. Bile filled her mouth before she could control it, and she had to bend over vomit. Katara inhaled deeply and wiped her mouth. "I can't leave them."

"We don't have a choice. I can't carry them all. We have to go _now_."

Katara met his eyes. "No, you have to go now. I will get you to the tunnels. You can use your earth bending to get yourself through them. Get Toph and her mom to safety." She looked out the window again.

"And what are you going to do?"

"I don't know, but I'm not leaving them all to die. I'll help here in any way I can." The words felt right coming from her lips, and she felt a familiar sense of responsibility. She expected the man to object, but instead he nodded.

"If Toph were able, we would both be by your side." He smiled grimly at her. "But we have to get moving. Now."

Katara glanced back at the window before ducking out of the ruined doorway. The guard with Toph in tow and Toph's mother stepped out just after her. The hallway was blocked to their right and was completely silent to their left. "The nearest tunnel entrance is three blocks west of the palace under Gai Pang's Bakery. Can you get us there?"

"Of course. I didn't expect it to be so close. I thought for sure we'd have to leave the Inner City before we could go underground. That makes things much easier."

Katara shrugged. "The Underground is bigger than you can imagine. There's a whole city that exists right under Ba Sing Se. At least there was before the explosions. There's no telling what's going on since the attacks. It could be more dangerous underground than above. Are you ready?"

"Follow me," he sprinted passed her into the hallway. Katara grabbed Toph's mother's hand and followed him. One word was playing over in her head: war. The world was at war again. No one would attack such a powerful city and its leader unless they were trying to make a drastic point. Katara tried not to think about it, but it was like she was finding Aang in the iceberg all over again. She was still in shock and living as if this were nothing but a dream. Katara knew this wasn't over. _I am just the beginning_, the man at the arena had said. _You are the end._ She had no idea what that meant, but she knew it would find her no matter how far she ran.

_I'm done running, _she decided. She would help the people of Ba Sing Se then she would get to her brother and Zuko. Katara hadn't felt this exhilarated since after her match with Azula, but underlining her excitement she could feel her fear creeping in around the edges. _What will I lose this time?_


End file.
